Good morning. Well, as you know, today is Mother’s Day. It is a day that we take time to celebrate Mothers. Now this morning, the breakfast was a way to thank them for all they do, and at this time I would like to give out a few prizes to some of the mothers that are here this morning.
1. Who is the mother with the most Children or Grandchildren here with you this morning?
2. Who is the mother of the youngest baby here this morning?
3. Who is the mother that has the oldest child here this morning?
4. Who is the mother with the most pictures of their children/grandchildren with them in their purses?
5. Who is the mother that has the most children/grandchildren in school?
Well, before we go any further, let’s just open with a word of prayer
There's a Mother's Day card that, on the front, reads: “Mom, I remember that little prayer you used to say for me every day.” When opened, the inside of that card reads: “God help you if you ever do that again!” Kids can be challenging, but the Bible leads us to believe that they are precious gifts from God. As we celebrate Mother's Day today, the message this morning is for moms. Now if you're not a mom, don't check out on me, because some of what we look at this morning is still applicable to all of us. So let's go ahead and look at God's Word to us this morning in Luke 1:26-38.
Now, this is a passage of Scripture that is normally read at Christmas time. So I'm not sure if this is a Christmas text that we're using on Mother's Day, or a Mother's Day text that we usually use at Christmas. But it will work either time, so please listen as I read. Here in Luke 1:26-38 it says, “1”
Now I can't think of a time when it is more difficult to be a Christian mother than today. It seems that virtually everything is pitted against the family. I mean, you send your kids out into a world of drugs, alcohol, gangs, and pornography. And with all of that, you're almost afraid for them to get beyond the end of the driveway. You would really like to build a wall around your house and protect them from it all.
But then you realize that even though they are safely inside the walls of your house, all kinds of things are coming in. Turn on the TV and they hear language you would just as soon they not hear. They see lifestyles portrayed that you wish they were not exposed to. The world today seems to be against the family.
Parents used to feel that schools would reinforce what they were teaching at home. But that is not necessarily the case now. There are certainly some good Christian educators who are trying to reinforce family values, but for the most part, when your children go to school, they are taught that the world just evolved by accident; that the Bible is just a collection of myths; that abortion is an acceptable alternative to an unwanted pregnancy. They learn all kinds of worldly and humanistic things that we all would just as soon they not learn.
Then, on top of all that, society seems to be tearing down the importance of mother-hood. We're told that women who choose to stay at home with their children are second-class citizens because they “haven't reached their full potential in life.”
Tony Campolo says that his wife is a brilliant woman. She has a PHD and is capable of pursuing a very profitable career. But she elected to stay home with her children when they were young. Her decision didn't bother her at all except when other women would ask, “What do you do?” She would answer, “I'm a homemaker. I stay home and take care of my children and my husband.” They would usually respond with “Oh” and then ignore her from then on.
So Campolo’s wife came up with this response when she was asked what she did. She now says, “I'm socializing 2 Homo-sapiens in Christian values so they'll appropriate the eschatological values of utopia. What do you do?” The other person would often blurt out “I'm a doctor” or “I'm a lawyer” and then wander off with a dazed look in their eyes.
So, being a good parent is tough work in today society. Then there is the breakdown of the family. We see more and more marriages breaking apart, more and more children living with single parents. In fact, it is estimated that by the time a child reaches 18 today, only 2 in 5 will still be living with both biological parents. There are so many things today that seem to tear down the meaning and importance of family.
So let's look at Mary as a model of motherhood this morning. She had some difficulties, too. In fact, let's note some of the difficulties and some of the resources that Mary experienced in trying to be a good mother to her family.
First, let’s look at some of the Difficulties That Mary Experienced
First of all, Mary had to deal with a negative reputation.
Now we know that the child Mary bore was conceived of God. We understand that. But almost no one else did. Only Joseph, after the angel had revealed it to him, accepted that story. The rest of the community would not accept it. And I think you can understand why. Here in this little town of Nazareth, tongues must have been wagging, and gossip would have been running rampant. “There's Mary. She's pregnant and she's not married.”
Years later, in the 8th chapter of the Gospel of John, when Jesus was being confronted by religious leaders, they pointed at Him and said, “We are not illegitimate children,” indicating that even as Jesus grew into adulthood He was perceived as an illegitimate child. So Mary had to deal with a negative reputation.
Some mothers have that in their past today. And their children may throw it up to them. “Well, you were pregnant before you were married, so who are you to lecture us on morality?” Or, “You've been married and divorced, so who are you to talk to us about the sanctity of marriage?” Or, “You were a real party animal when you were young, so who are you to tell us what time we should come home at night?”
That's difficult to deal with. But it's not impossible. In fact, it presents an opportunity for teaching your children that as Christians we're saved by God's grace, and He has forgiven us of our past sins. And we're not going to repeat them. That's why parents try to teach their children not to repeat the bad things in life that they did.
So, Mary had to work around the negative reputation that she had received.
Second, Mary also had to deal with poverty.
Everything in the Bible indicates that Mary and Joseph were poor. Jesus, the Son of God, was born in a barn, wrapped in swaddling cloths, and laid in a manger - a very meager beginning. And all through His life we're reminded of the poverty that is there.
Maybe, as a mother today, you're feeling financial pressures, you're not able to give your child everything other children get. Maybe you feel it's not fair that you can't buy $200 tennis shoes and designer clothes for your child. And there's pressure to go into debt to make sure your child gets everything everybody else's child gets.
Well, I encourage you to resist that temptation and use the opportunity to teach important lessons. That is how my mother has been able to teach me responsibility and good stewardship of my money. Your children need to learn that the most valuable things in life money can't buy. And the things you spend lots of money on only last for a while, and then they are gone.
Jean Baron writes in Readers Digest about the old mobile home where she lived with her teen-age son. She said, “The home was structurally unsound, and the plumbing always leaked.” She was ashamed when her son brought his friends home because of their meager surroundings.
But one day she learned that her son's best friend, who had all the material things anyone could want, had run away from home. She said, “I was puzzled, so I asked my son why.” He explained, “Well, mom, at their house they had a lot of environment but not very much love. Here, we have lots of love, but not very much environment.”
You see, sometimes it is the love that is shared in the home and not the money and material possessions. So Mary had to deal with the problem of poverty.
Third, we see that Mary had to face the fact that people hated her child.
When He was born, King Herod tried to kill Him. Mary and Joseph had to flee into Egypt where they lived as strangers just in order to protect Him from the forces of evil that were after Him.
I think that it is time for parents to take some steps to protect their children from the Evil One, too. That may mean turning off the TV and monitoring their usage of the internet. That may mean checking what your children are being taught at school and countering any bad influences by making sure they get plenty of Christian training and influence as well.
Most certainly parents need to discipline and train your children to respect adults and to respect authority. I know that's counter-culture, but parents need to realize that these are dangerous times for kids. We need to make sure that we're doing everything we can to protect them.
So just as Mary had to try and protect Jesus from people who hated Him, parents today need to protect their children from the worldly influences around them.
Fourth, Mary had to raise her children as a single mom.
We know that Joseph was with her at least until Jesus was 12 years old when Joseph and Mary took Jesus to the Temple in Jerusalem. But after that we never hear of Joseph again.
There are a lot of single parents today. And I want to say to you single moms, and to those that may be single dads as well, “You are the unsung heroes of the church.” I mean that from the depths of my heart. If you are a victim of divorce, or if you have lost a mate and are left with children you must raise alone, you are the unsung heroes of the church.
You work all week and come home exhausted. But you get your kids up on Sunday morning, wash their faces, put them in their best clothes, and bring them to church because you want more than anything else for them to know Jesus Christ as their Savior.
It takes a lot of hard word and determination to raise a child on your own, and I tip my hat to those of you who are able to do that in a way that your children are still brought up in the church.
And then finally, Mary had to deal with a child that was rejected and abused.
I think that is one of the hardest things that parents do.
Some parents can say, “I can remember when my son or daughter came home crying because no one would eat lunch with him or her in the lunchroom.” Some of those same parents wanted to go to school and beat those kids to within an inch of their lives. And every time they saw one of their children rejected or left out, they hurt more than the kids did.” So you can imagine how Mary must have hurt as she saw Jesus being rejected.
Jerry Clower, a comedian whose size would make you think he is a professional football player, says that his son was the field goal kicker for his high school football team. One day his son had a chance to kick the field goal that would give his team the lead and maybe even win the game, but the kick went wide of the uprights.
A man about 4 rows from where Jerry Clower was sitting jumped up and began heckling loudly. “Who is that kicker anyway? He couldn't hit the broad side of a barn with a football.” And he went on and on, ridiculing Jerry's son.
Clower said, “I took all of it I could, and then I made my way through the crowd, sat down next to that guy, looked him right in the eye, and said, “You need to thank Jesus that you're still alive.” The guy said, “What do you mean?” Clower answered, “That's my son you're ridiculing, and the only reason you're not dead right now is because I'm a Christian and Jesus won't let me kill you.”
It's pretty tough parents, isn't it, to see your children abused? Simeon told Mary, “A sword will pierce your soul.” Mary must have felt that when they hurled these accusations at Him: “He's demon possessed. He's guilty of blasphemy. He's crazy. He's a drunkard.” And can you imagine the pain that she felt as she watched Jesus crucified on Calvary's Hill? So parents have to deal with the obstacle of reject and abuse.
Now that we have looked at several of the difficulties that Mary had to face, we can now take a few minutes to look at The Resources That Helped Her. Well, Mary also had some resources that helped her in being a model mother. Here are some of them:
First of all, she was doing God's will.
Verse 38 again says, “I am the Lord's servant,” Mary answered. “May it be to me as you have said.”
There is something reassuring in knowing that you're acting in harmony with the will of God. Everything else may be falling apart, but if you know that you're doing what God wants you to do, there's something very reassuring about that.
James Keller once said, “Every mother has the breath taking privilege of sharing with God in the creation of a new life. She helps bring into existence a soul that will last for all eternity.”
Parents, realize that your greatest responsibility as a parent is to raise your child to know Jesus Christ, and to accept Him as Lord and Savior so he or she can live for all eternity with Him. If you succeed there, you're successful.
And you're responsible - not the babysitter, not the nanny, not the schoolteacher, and not the youth minister or Sunday School teacher - you are responsible for the soul of your child. There is something very special about knowing you're in harmony with God's will.
Secondly, Mary had a supportive husband for at least 12 years.
One of the finest things we can do, men, is to support our wives. Let them know we love them and are behind them and will support them in virtually every decision they make.
Willard Harley in his book, “His Needs, Her Needs” points out that both husbands and wives have needs in their relationship. He says that her needs are these: First of all, she needs affection, someone who will treat her with great tenderness. Secondly, she needs conversation, the sharing of the heart.
Thirdly, she needs honesty and openness. Don't keep secrets from her. Fourthly, she needs security, both physical and financial. And fifthly, she needs relational commitment. She needs to know that she is the absolute priority in the relationship.
Jack Benny was rather shy when he was young. One day at work he saw a young lady that greatly attracted his attention. But he was too shy to speak to her. So he went to the florist and ordered one red rose to be sent to her without any card enclosed. And every day he repeated that order.
Well, after 4 days of receiving one red rose each day, the young lady went to the florist and asked who was sending them. The florist told her that it was some guy who worked where she did by the name of Jack Benny. “Yeah,” she said, “I think I know who he is.”
So she searched Jack out and asked him why he was sending her those roses. He told her that he wanted to ask her out but was shy. With that said, she accepted his invitation. And other dates followed that first one. But still, every day, she continued to receive one red rose.
Then Jack and Mary got engaged, and Mary figured that the red roses would stop. But still they came. Finally, they were married, and even on the honeymoon she continued to receive one red rose each day. But once the honeymoon was over, she figured that the roses would stop.
But month after month, then year after year, all their married life, every day without fail she received a red rose. Finally, Jack Benny died. But the very next day, here came another red rose. Thinking that maybe the florist somehow hadn't heard, she called to tell him of Jack's death and that he could now stop sending the roses.
To that he answered, “But you don't understand. Before he died, Jack made all the arrangements. You'll receive one red rose every day for the rest of your life.”
Now men, it doesn’t have to be a rose every day, and ladies, don’t get any ideas here. But men, if you start showing your wife some attention, she may not know how to react. But spend the time and the effort, and it will mean far more than you'll ever imagine.
So Mary had the resource of a supportive husband.
Finally this morning, Mary had a close, understanding friend.
She went to Elizabeth, a relative, years older than Mary. But they had similar experiences because Elizabeth was also expecting a child, and her child was also a miraculous birth because she was past the age of childbearing. So Elizabeth served as an encourager to Mary during a difficult time.
I'm convinced, with marriages breaking apart, that there is a tremendous need for the extended family. We're seeing more and more the value of the roles that aunts and uncles and grandparents are playing in raising children. And that extended family could also include the church.
We're brothers and sisters, and in Jesus we're all a part of the same family. So look around, there may be somebody here who really needs a word of encouragement this morning.
Maybe there is an older woman here who could put her arm around a younger woman and say, “I know things are tough for you, and I want you to know I'm here for you. Is there anything I can do that would be of help?”
Or maybe you can call someone up and say, “Hey, why don't I baby sit for you this week, so you and your husband can have an evening out?” Wouldn't it be great if we could begin to be the extended family? And men this includes you too, its not just directed to the women.
Maybe this is the reason why the writer of Hebrews said, “Don't forsake the assembling of yourselves together.” We really need each other. The church needs to be that kind of fellowship as we become an extended family for each other. So we see that Mary had the support of a close friend.
Well, Mary was rewarded. She was there when Jesus was raised from the dead. She was among the 120 when the Holy Spirit came on the day of Pentecost. She saw her other children accept Jesus as Messiah. And today she is in heaven as part of His kingdom.
As I close, Abraham Lincoln was a great statesman who is credited with ending slavery and holding a nation together. After he had risen to power he is quoted as saying “All I am or hope to be, I owe to my angel mother.”
You've heard the worn out riddle, “What came first, the chicken or the egg?” And the answer is of course, the mother. Before there was Abraham Lincoln, there was his mother. Before there was Bill Gates, there was his mother. Before there was Billy Graham, there was his mother. Before there was Mel Gibson, there was his mother.
Now I can't tell you in detail what part these women played in the success of their children. But they each played a part. They each contributed to the character of children who would one day make notable contributions in the world.
Even before there was Jesus, there was His mother Mary. Mary undoubtedly played a key role in preparing Jesus for his ministry. And to you parents out there this morning, you play a great role in the way they will grow up and in what they will contribute to the world in the future as well.
So, will you do all that you can to get past the difficulties and take advantage of the resources that are out there to see to it that you raise your children in the way God desires you to? The answer to that question is up to each of you!
Let’s Pray |
